Fabric spreader



May 29, M956 J. J. BRAMHALL, JR., ET Ax. 2,747,250

FABRIC SPREADER Filed Sept. 4, 1953 kvm,

uw N United States Patent fO FARIC SPREADER James J. Bramhall, Jr., Greenville, VS. C., and Richard T. Scott, Harrison, N. Y., assignor's to-Amercn Viscose Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Original application December 3, 1 939,V 'Serial No. 131,006. `Divided `and this lapplication September r4, 1953, Serial No. 378,572

6 Claims. (Cl. /26-54) This invention ,relates to improved vapparatus lfor treating a warp knit fabric, such as tricot and, more especially, to apparatus for flattening the curled selvages of 'such a fabric. The Vpresent application has been divided from our copending application zSerial No. $131,006, filed December 3, 1949, now abandoned.

In the production of knitted fabrics, such Yas the conventional tricot warp knit fabrics, the fabrics are formed by knitting the yarns togetherwith needles associated with guiding means, such as guide bars, which traverse the desired distance from right to left. A fabric when knitted is in flat form or a warp sheet 4and -this flat ycondition Iis temporary only because the edges of the fabric have a tendency to curl or roll as soon as the .fabric leaves the knitting machine. This tendency to roll is due 'to the stress yimparted to the yarns `in Ithe knitting operation and it is merely the natural tendency -of the lknittedyarns to assume a balanced condition in the fabric.

Knitted sheet material, such as tricot knit fabric, formed wholly from nylon yarns or from nylon yarns and other yarns, not only has a ltendency to roll vat the edges but does not assume a stable condition for manufacturing purposes unless preset by some process so as to .cause the fabric to assume estable condition and so as to prevent the same from wrinkling as well as to 4prevent the edges of the fabric from rolling or curling.

It has been found that in treating cloth knitted from certain yarns the cloth can be treated in an ordinary boiling bath at Y210 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. However, in the case of nylon fabrics, Athis has not been satisfactory because the temperature is not :high enough to preset the loops in the nylon fabric.

In accordance with the present invention, the preferred apparatus for accomplishing the above-mentioned treatment of the fabric comprises an adjustable nozzle positioned above the fabric and adjacent each side thereof so that the treating fluid is directed through a series of orifices in each nozzle to roll back or ilatten the curled selvages of the fabric immediately prior to the entrance of the fabric into the treating tank. The nozzles are adjustable both rotationally and transversely to achieve the optimum results for any type or width of fabric.

The primary object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an adjustable nozzle mounted adjacent the selvage of a travelling length of fabric and means for introducing a treating iluid into the nozzle under elevated pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a substantially at backing plate extending upwardly from a liquid fabric-treating tank over which the fabric travels and an elongated nozzle having a plurality of orifices therein in a line substantially parallel to the backing plate whereby treating fluid discharged from the orifices under pressure llattens the selvages of the fabric against the backing plate.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in apparatus of the type described, means for adjusting the 2,747,250 Patented May 29, 149,56

ICC

2 angle at whichv the fluid is directed against the fabric from the orifices.

A still further object `of `the invention is to provide, in -apparatus of the type described, lmeans 4for transversely adjusting the position of :the nozzles either Aselectively =`or concurrently with means for adjusting lthe -angularity of the orifices in the nozzles.

Further objects will be apparent yfrom the `specification and drawings in which Figure vl is a side view, partially sectioned, -of a fabrictreating tank andthe associated sewage-flattening mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged top view of the selvage-attening mechanism shown in Figure l.

The present invention comprises `atreating tank through which a length of warp knit fabric, such as tricot, is conducted to ilatten the selvages Vvthereof. This flattening process is 'accomplished in whole or in part by passing the fabric through a bath of treating iluid while retaining the fabric in a ilattened condition. The nature of the treating fluid, as Well as its temperature, are selected to provide the desired permanent vse't 4or flattening for the particular fabric Ibeing treated. In order to 'roll back or `initially flatten the selvages of the fabric, however, before it enters the bath and in order to guide 'the fabric properly into the confined flattening space in the tank, we provide an elongated nozzle mounted above the tank and having a plurality of spaced orifices therein which discharge fluid outwardly against the selvages toroll them back and maintain themflattened against an inclined backing plate. These nozzles are rotatable on their axes to control the angular-ity of the jets directed against 'the fabric, 'and the nozzles are also movable transversely of the fabric to accomplish the maximum flattening efficiency for any given width `of fabric and also to provide suitable adjustment for varying widths of fabric.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, we provide a liquid-treating tank 5 which Vcontains a liquidtreating bath 6, preferably of the type calculated to permanently set the fabric in a flattened condition. A heating coil '7 may be used to maintain the treating bath 6 at the desired elevated temperature. The fabric F is fed into the bath through a pair of rolls 8 and '9 supported in brackets adjacent one end of the tank. From the rolls the fabric is fed into the tank over an inclined backing plate or guide which delivers the fabric through a narrow aperture formed between an upper plate Imember v11 and the lower plate member 12, which is in effect an extension of the backing plate 10. Upper member 11 is supported on the sides of the tank by brackets 13, 13 and the lower plate or member 12 is mounted on cross members 14, 14.

A fabric F when fed between rolls 8 and 9, ordinarily has its selvages rolled over as shown at S, S in Figure 2. Since it is necessary to straighten the selvages to treat the fabric in a vflattened condition, we provide straightening means for rolling back these selvages before the fabric enters the bath and the flattening structure 11 and 12. This is accomplished by means of a pair of nozzles 15 and 16 which are suspended in brackets 17 and 18 respectively. Each nozzle, in the preferred form, comprises an elongated sleeve or pipe closed at its lower end and having its axis substantially parallel to the backing plate 10. At least one row of perforations 19, 19 is provided in each nozzle, and these perforations form orifices through which jets of fluid I, I, for example, the treating liquid, are directed under elevated pressure against the rolled selvages S, S. These jets uncurl the selvages and flatten the fabric out against the backing plate 10. The length of the nozzle should be such that complete uncurling of the selvages is accomplished together with the ability to maintain the selvages uncurled until the fabric passes under control of the treating bath and attening structure. The initial wetting and treating of the fabric by jets T, I accomplishes this result to a more or less permanent extent so that we have found itA to be unnecessary to extend the nozzles beneath the level of the treating bath 6. Also, the nozzles discharging in opposite directions tend to transversely stretch and flatten the entire fabric onto the plate 10.

Both nozzles and 16 are adjustable in two respects. First, each nozzle may be turned on its axis so that the angularity of the jets with respect to the backing plate can be varied. This adjustment is accomplished by means of bevel gears and 26 secured to the nozzles, which gears mesh with bevel gears 27 and 2% respectively. Rotation of the gears 25 and 26 is achieved through cranks 29 and 30 which are keyed to shafts 31 and 32. Each of these shafts has a telescopic out non-rotatable iit in sleeves 33 and 34 which in turn are journaled in brackets 17 and 18 and carry the meshing bevel gears 27 and 28. Thus, it will be understood that rotation of cranks 2.9 and turns the nozzles 15 and 16 to control the angularity of the jets I, J.

In order to control the transverse position of both nozzles 15 and 16, the brackets 17 and 18 are movable transversely of the apparatus by rotation of a threaded shaft 35 having oppositely threaded portions 35a and 35h. Shaft 35 is journaled in brackets 36 and 37 and is provided with a crank 38 so that rotation of the shaft simultaneously moves both brackets and, therefore, both nozzles across the fabric. This adjustment can be used to control the force with which the jets l' strike the edges of the fabric and also to reposition the nozzles for fabrics of diiferent width. The liuid for the jets is Supplied to each nozzle through conduits 40 and 41 which connect to the nozzles through telescopic connections 42, 43 and elbows 44, 45. The telescopic connections for the fluid supply lines, as well as the shafts 31 and 32, permit the transverse adjustment to be made as described above.

The invention enables the selvages to be rolled back and maintained in the rolled back attened condition with excellent results because the elongated nozzles provide ample area for the uncurling effect to take place, and the ability to control the precise direction at which the jets impinge upon the selvages permits the operator to constantly achieve excellent results regardless of the condition of the fabric as it may be fed to the jets.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

l. In apparatus for uncurling the edges of a fabric having curled edges, a vessel for containing a liquid through which the fabric is passed, guiding means supported in the vessel for controlling the path of the fabric through the vessel, a guide plate supported in inclined relation to the vessel, means for continuously feeding a fabric downwardly over the'inclined guide plate to the vessel in a substantially untensioned condition, a pair of rotatable fluid conduits supported over said guide plate in spaced relation thereto, walls defining at least one fluid orifice in each of said conduits, means for rotating each of the conduits on its axis to vary the angle at which tiuid is discharged from the orifices against the fabric passing over the guide plate, and means for simultaneously moving each of said conduits in a transverse path across and above the surface of the guide plate.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim l in which the means for rotating the conduits comprises a manually operable crank positioned at one side of the guide plate, and extensible driving connections between the crank and each conduit.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim l in which each conduit is mounted in a bracket, a shaft having oppositely pitched threaded sections extending through each of said brackets, means operable at one end of said shaft to rotate the shaft, and extensible fluid connections for supplying uid to each of said conduits.

4. Apparatus for flattening the selvages of a fabric prior to permanently treating the fabric to retain the selvages in a flattened condition comprising a liquid tank, an inclined backing plate extending into said tank over which the fabric is conducted, an elongated sleevelike nozzle mounted in spaced relation to said backing plate over the tank, a bevel gear on said nozzle, a shaft extending towards one side of the tank, a bevel gear on said shaft in mesh with said irst bevel gear, means for turning said shaft to rotate the nozzle on its axis, walls in the nozzle defining a plurality of liquid orifices, and means for supplying treating iluid to said nozzle.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the Shaft comprises two relatively non-rotatable telescopic sections.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the sleeve and both gears are mounted on a bracket, and means for moving said bracket transversely of the backing plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,912,724 Remington Iune 6, 1933 2,613,521 Walmsley Oct. 14, 1952 2,613,522 Heffelfinger Oct. 14, 1952 2,674,023 Foley Apr. 6, 1954 

1. IN APPARATUS FOR UNCURING THE EDGES OF A FABRIC HAVING CURLED EDGES, A VESSEL FOR CONTAINING A LIQUID THROUGH WHICH THE FABRIC IS PASSED, GUIDING MEANS SUPPORTED IN THE VESSEL FOR CONTROLLING THE PATH OF THE FABRIC THROUGH THE VESSEL, A GUIDE PLATE SUPPORTED IN INCLINED RELATION TO THE VESSEL, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING A FABRIC DOWNWARDLY OVER THE INCLINED GUIDE PLATE TO THE VESSEL IN A SUBSTANTIALLY UNTENSIONED CONDITION, A PAIR OF ROTATABLE FLUID CONDUITS SUPPORTED OVER SAID GUIDE PLATE IN SPACED RELATION THERETO, WALLS DEFINING AT LEAST ONE FLUID ORIFICE IN EACH OF SAID CONDUITS, MEANS FOR ROTATING EACH OF THE CONDUITS ON ITS AXIS TO VARY THE ANGLE AT WHICH FLUID IS DISCHARGED FROM THE ORIFICES AGAINST THE FABRIC PASSING OVER THE GUIDE PLATE, AND MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING EACH OF SAID CONDUITS IN A TRANSVERSE PATH ACROSS AND ABOVE THE SURFACE OF THE GUIDE PLATE. 